Bottle-stopper.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1903. P. B. THATGH/ERL BOTTLE ,STOPPER. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 1900.

N0 MODEL:

UNITED STATES Patented May 12,1903.

PATENT ()FFICE.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent No. 727,711, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed March 23. 1900. $erial No. 9,864. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that LFREDERIOK B. THATOHER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Stoppers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices adapted to close the mouth of a bottle or like vessel; and the object is to provide a stopper of simple construction with a removable stopple or packing element and of a form which exposes a minimum of non-metallic material to the contents of the bottle.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the top of a bottle, showinga stopper and fastening in side view and closed. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical central section of the top of the bottle and the stopper in the closed position. Fig. 3 is a top view of the stopper on enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the stopper and in section of the stopple or packing on enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a detail plan View of the packing. Fig. 6 is a detail View of the lower part of the stopper in place and cutting the shank in cross-section.

In the accompanying drawings the letter ct denotes the upper part of a bottle in connection with which my invention is illustrated, b

the mouth, and c a stopper adapted to close the mouth of the bottle and seal it closely against the leakage of liquids or fluids under pressure.

The stopper 0 is made, preferably, of metal, with a cap 01 and a bottom e of disk form, united by a small shankf, and having a hole 9 in the web 9, through which the bail of afastening device passes. This stopper is usually and preferably made of cast metal; but the material and manner of making are immaterial and non-essential. features.

It is proposed that thebottom e of the stopper shall be of such diameter as to closely fit within the mouth of the bottle,so as to leave the slightest space practicable between it andthe surface of the bottle for the leakage of the contents of the bottle, and act as a guide to center the packing.

The stopper-fastener is preferably the usual form of U -shaped lever h, with the side members 71 bent to form pivot-bearings 712 for the inturned ends of the bail i, and the inner ends of the lever arepivoted to the neck-band k on diametrically opposite sides, so that the bail in the closed position of the fastener and stopper will hold the lattercentrally in place.

The cap d of the stopper is less in diameter than the mouth of the bottle, and on the shank f a perforated Washer Z, ofelastic material, is located, the central opening Z through the washer being smaller than the shankf, on which it is held, as shown in Fig. 4.

In the closed position of the stopper it is forced down into the mouth of the bottle, so that the edge of the cap d draws upon the Washer-disk and crowdsit inwardly, so that it becomes wedged tightly between the cap and the inner surface of the mouth of the bottle and seals the outlet completely. The packing is large enoughin diameter to overlap the mouth oftlle bOttlG, and owing to its form and elasticity resists distortions in a manner that causes the part which lies out side of the edge of the cap'to contract toward the center of. the stopper and at an angle downward towardthebottle, so as to pack closely upon the part of the packing actually located between the edge of the cap and the bottle-mouth. This aids in closing and sealing the bottle.

The washer is attached to the stopper by stretching it on over the bottom part, the material, asfindiarubber, permitting the re quired enlargement of the hole 1' for this purpose. It is evident that the washer may be renewed as often as desirable, the remainder of the parts being of metal and very durable.

This form of stopper-is particularly adapted for use on bottles to hold lager-beer, aerated or so-called soft drinks, and like beverages bottled under pressure of contained gas. In such beverages it is of advantage to prevent their contact with rubber or like ma.- terial, which forms the best packing while held in a bottle, and the form of stopper and packing embodying my invention has this advantage in a very'great degree, as the metal* lic bottom of the stopper quite fills theinouth of the bottle in-such manner as to prevent the liquid contents from coming into contact with the, rubber packing. A further advantage of this form of stopper is that in case'of a slight variation in the diameter of the mouth of the bottle, which, however, does not detract from the function of the bottom disk 6 as a guide to center the stopper, the packing may be made of varying thicknesses, the thinner one adapted to the smaller bottle and the thickest to the larger, thus enabling the metallic part or base of the stopper to be used to remedy the defects of the slight variations in any given size of bottle-mouth. The main advantage in the bottle, however, is the function performed by the bottom 6 as a guide to cause the stopper to be seated centrally in place by the fastening means and to refuse to enter, as it will do, provided the stopper is so placed as to assume a tilted position from which it cannot recover in entering the mouth. It is found by practice that the stopper unless placed so as to take a central position so as to pack evenly will not enter at all, but will throw 01f from the edge of the mouth on the application of downward pressure on the bail to seat the device.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with a bottle, a stopper consisting of a body part of rigid material having an upper disk and a lower disk each of a diameter practically equal to that of the smallest diameter of the neck of the bottle, said disks being united by a narrow shank, and a disk-shaped packing of india-rubber or like elastic material attached to said shank and to act without obstruction on the edge of the mouth of the bottle, said lower disk-like portion adapted to occupy that part of the opening into the bottle at or before the packing engages the mouth thereof.

2. In combination with a bottle, a stopper consisting of a body part of rigid material having an upper and lower disk united by a narrow shank, a disk-like packing of indiarubber or like elastic material attached to said shank and adapted to be wedged between the upper disk and the inner surface of the wall of the opening into the bottle and ofa diameter to overlap the edge of the mouth of the bottle without obstruction thereof.

3. In combination with a bottle, a stopper consisting of a body part of rigid material having an upper disk and a lower disk each of a diameter practically equal to that of the smallest diameter of the bottle, said disks constituting the greatest diameter of the stopper and united by a narrow shank, and a diskshaped packing of india-rubber or like elas tic material attached to said shank and of a diameter to overlap the edge of the mouth of the bottle and to act thereon without obstruction, said stopper being so constructed that the lower disk-like portion will occupy that part of the opening into the bottle of smallest diameter at or before the packing engages the mouth of the bottle.

FREDERICK B. THATOHER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES F. THATCHER, JOHN M. LATHAM. 

